REVIEW: The Tormented Witch (#1) - J. C. Beckham

The Tormented Witch (#1) - J. C. Beckham
Series: Crowded Souls
Publisher: The Solopreneur Publishing Limited
Format: Paperback
Pages: 334 Pages
Rating: ★★★★

Website Description (Crowded Souls.com)

‘Apart from the fact that Leila Albergo was born in England, she was just like any other seventeen-year-old U.S. high schooler. That was until, by a dark twist of fate, she develops supernatural powers.

Leila is convinced that her feelings for school heartthrob Luca Jareau will remain unnoticed until he turns out to be her greatest ally. With his help, she must learn to control her magic and conceal the truth from everyone else, in order to protect the people she loves.

Leila also realises that some friends are not always who they seem to be and that staying alive at any cost, can sometimes be too high a price to pay.’

REVIEW: Saga Volume 1 - Brian K. Vaughan (Writer) & Fiona Staples (Artist)

Saga Volume 1 - Brian K. Vaughan (Writer) & Fiona Staples (Artist)
Series: Saga
Publisher: Image Comics
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Blurb

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.

REVIEW: Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes (#1) - Scott Cawthon & Kira Breed-Wristley

Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes (#1) - Scott Cawthon & Kira Breed-Wrisley
Series: Five Night's at Freddy's
Publisher: Scholastic
Format: Paperback
Pages: 389
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Blurb

Ten years after the horrific murders at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza that ripped their town apart, Charlie, whose father owned the restaurant, and her childhood friends reunite on the anniversary of the tragedy and find themselves at the old pizza place, which had been locked up and abandoned for years. After they discover a way inside, they realize that things are not as they used to be. The four adult-sized animatronic mascots that once entertained patrons have changed. They now have a dark secret…and a murderous agenda.

REVIEW:XVI (#1) - Julia Karr

XVI (#1) - Julia Karr
Series: XVI
Publisher: Puffin/Speak
Format: Paperback
Pages: 325 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Blurb
Every girl gets one.
An XVI tattoo on the wrist--sixteen.

Some girls can't wait to be sixteen, to be legal. Nina is not one of them. Even though she has no choice in the matter, she knows that so long as her life continues as normal, everything will be okay.

Then, with one brutal strike, Nina's normal is shattered; and she discovers that nothing that she believed about her life is true. But there's one boy who can help--and he just may hold the key to her past.

But with the line between attraction and danger as thin as a whisper, one thing is for sure...

For Nina, turning sixteen promises to be anything but sweet

REVIEW: His Unlikely Lover (#3) - Natasha Anders

His Unlikely Lover (#3) - Natasha Anders
Series: Unwanted
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Format: Kindle
Pages: 294 Pages
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Blurb

Bobbi Richmond has always been in love with her best friend, Gabe Braddock, even if Gabe, who works for her media mogul father, has always treated Bobbi like a kid sister, calling her “Runt.”

After a tipsy Bobbi kisses Gabe at a party, Gabe is surprised to find “Runt” becoming the object of his fantasies, and Bobbi is shocked to find her advances suddenly reciprocated. When Gabe suggests adding “benefits” to their friendship—while keeping their new arrangement secret from their families, of course—should Bobbi feel flattered, or insulted by his insistence on casual sex? Are they even a match? Slick and conservative Gabe dates coiffed blondes, while the tomboyish Bobbi spends much more time fixing cars than her hair.

When Gabe’s twin brother, Chase, senses something’s up between the old friends, he forces Gabe to confront his real feelings for Bobbi—and decide whether or not he could live without her.

REVIEW: The Martian - Andy Weir

The Martian - Andy Weir
Publisher: Podium Publishing
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: R. C. Bray
Time: 10HRS 53MINS
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Goodreads Blurb

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

REVIEW: Talon (#1) - Julie Kagawa

Talon (#1) - Julie Kagawa
Series: Talon
Publisher:  HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Paperback
Pages: 464 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Blurb

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none th wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

REVIEW: The Innocent Wife - Amy Lloyd*

The Innocent Wife - Amy Lloyd
Publisher: Cornerstone
Format: E-Book
Pages: 400
Rating: ★★

*Received from NetGalley for an honest review*

Goodreads Blurb

Twenty years ago, Dennis Danson was arrested and imprisoned for the brutal murder of a young girl in Florida's Red River County. Now he's the subject of a true-crime documentary that's whipping up a frenzy online to uncover the truth and free a man who has been wrongly convicted.

A thousand miles away in England, Samantha is obsessed with Dennis's case. She exchanges letters with him, and is quickly won over by his apparent charm and kindness to her. Soon she has left her old life behind to marry him and campaign for his release.

But when the campaign is successful and Dennis is freed, Sam begins to discover new details that suggest he may not be quite so innocent after all ...

REVIEW: Contagion (#1) - Teri Terry

Contagion (#1) - Teri Terry
Series: Dark Matter
Publisher: Orchard Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 459
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Blurb

Callie is missing.

Her brother Kai is losing hope of ever seeing her again. Then he meets Shay, a girl who saw Callie the day she disappeared, and his hope is reignited.

Their search leads them to the heart of a terrifying epidemic that is raging through the country.

Can Kai and Shay escape death and find Callie?

REVIEW: Silver Stars (#2) - Michael Grant

Silver Stars (#2) - Michael Grant
Series: Soldier Girls
Publisher: Electric Monkey
Format: Paperback
Pages: 465
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Blurb
The summer of 1943, World War II. With heavy memories of combat, Frangie, Rainy, Rio, and the rest of the American army are moving on to their next target: the Italian island of Sicily.

The women won’t conquer Italy alone. They are not heroes for fighting alongside their brothers—they are soldiers. But Frangie, Rainy, Rio, and the millions of brave females fighting for their country have become a symbol in the fight for equality. They will brave terrible conditions in an endless siege; they will fight to find themselves on the front lines of WWII; and they will come face-to-face with the brutality of war until they win or die

REVIEW: Pretties (#2) - Scott Westerfeld

Pretties (#2) - Scott Westerfeld
Series: Uglies
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368 Pages
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Blurb

Tally has finally become 'pretty'. Her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are cool, her boyfriend's gorgeous, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted. But beneath all the fun is a nagging feeling that something's wrong.

REVIEW: Dark Room (#5) - Tom Becker

Dark Room (#5) - Tom Becker
Series: Red Eye
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400 Pages
Rating:★★★★

Goodreads Blurb

When Darla and her feckless dad, Hopper, move to Saffron Hills, Darla hopes it'll be a new start for the both of them. But she stands no chance of fitting in with the image-obsessed in-crowd at her new school. Then one of her classmates is brutally killed when taking a photo of herself. A murder Darla herself predicted in a bloody vision. When more teens die in a similar fashion it appears that a serial killer is on the loose - the 'Selfie Slayer'. Darla alone is convinced that the murderer might not be flesh and blood...

REVIEW: Final 7 (#3) - Kerry Drewery*

Final 7 (#3) - Kerry Drewery
Series: Cell 7
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Format: E-Book
Pages: 464 Pages
Rating: ★★★★

*Received from NetGalley for an honest review*

Goodreads Blurb

Martha and Isaac have escaped, but are now on the run - the government has branded them rebels and a danger to the public. Despite the rewards being offered for turning them in, Martha and her friends are safe in The Rises, the area of the city full of the poor and the powerless. But then the Prime Minister orders a wall to be built around The Rises. Is it for the the safety or the poor - or is it to imprison them? Martha needs to act, and to act fast, in a tale of breathtaking treachery that reaches right to the heart of government...  

REVIEW: The Truth and Lies of Ella Black - Emily Barr*

The Truth and Lies of Ella Black - Emily Barr
Publisher: Penguin
Format: E-Book
Pages: 349 Pages
Rating:  DNF

*Received from NetGalley for an honest review*

Goodreads Blurb

Ella Black seems to live the life most other seventeen-year-olds would kill for . . .

Until one day, telling her nothing, her parents whisk her off to Rio de Janeiro. Determined to find out why, Ella takes her chance and searches through their things.

And realises her life has been a lie.

Her mother and father aren't hers at all. Unable to comprehend the truth, Ella runs away, to the one place they'll never think to look - the favelas.

But there she learns a terrible secret - the truth about her real parents and their past. And the truth about a mother, desperate for a daughter taken from her seventeen years ago . . .

REVIEW: House of Furies (#1) - Madeleine Roux

House of Furies (#1) - Madeleine Roux
Series: House of Furies
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Paperback
Pages: 404 Pages
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Blurb

After escaping a harsh school where punishment was the lesson of the day, seventeen-year-old Louisa Ditton is thrilled to find employment as a maid at a boarding house. But soon after her arrival at Coldthistle House, Louisa begins to realize that the house’s mysterious owner, Mr. Morningside, is providing much more than lodging for his guests. Far from a place of rest, the house is a place of judgment, and Mr. Morningside and his unusual staff are meant to execute their own justice on those who are past being saved.

Louisa begins to fear for a young man named Lee who is not like the other guests. He is charismatic and kind, and Louisa knows that it may be up to her to save him from an untimely judgment. But in this house of distortions and lies, how can Louisa be sure whom to trust?

REVIEW: Uglies (#1) - Scott Westerfeld

Uglies (#1) - Scott Westerfeld
Series: Uglies
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Format: Paperback
Pages: 425 Pages
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Blurb

Tally has finally become 'pretty'. Her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are cool, her boyfriend's gorgeous, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted. But beneath all the fun is a nagging feeling that something's wrong.

REVIEW: Blood for Blood (#2) - Ryan Graudin

Blood for Blood (#2) - Ryan Graudin
Series: Wolf by Wolf
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 481 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Blurb

For the resistance in the Third Reich, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun. Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: the world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against Hitler’s army, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.

But in the midst of the chaos, Yael’s past and future collide when she comes face to face with a ghost from her past, and a spark with a fellow rider begins to grow into something more. Dark secrets reveal dark truths and one question hangs over them all—how far can you go for the ones you love?

REVIEW: Day 7 (#2) - Kerry Drewery

Day 7 (#2) - Kerry Drewery
Series: Cell 7
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 427 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Blurb

Martha Honeydew has been released from the terrifying Cell 7. But despite her new freedom, the corrupt judicial system is still tracking Martha's every move. And Isaac, her only trusted friend, is now imprisoned in the very same cells she was. Isaac saved Martha's life, it is only right she now saves his.

But with Martha still a target, her chances of saving Isaac are remote. Martha begins to question whether it is ever possible to escape government scrutiny.

Will Martha and Isaac ever reunite?

Will they ever live in a better world?

REVIEW: The Sin Eater's Daughter (#1) - Melinda Salisbury

The Sin Eater's Daughter (#1) - Melinda Salisbury
Series: The Sin Eater's Daughter
Publisher: Scholastic Children's Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 333 Pages
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Blurb

Sixteen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she's engaged to the prince, no one speaks to her. No one even looks at her. Because Twylla isn't a member of the court. She's the executioner. As the goddess-embodied, Twylla kills with a single touch. So each week, she's taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love her. Who could care for a girl with murder in her veins? Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to her touch, avoids her.

But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose playful smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he's able to look past Twylla's executioner robes and see the girl, not the goddess. Yet a treasonous romance is the least of Twylla's problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies-a plan that requires an unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

REVIEW: Red Rising (#1) - Pierce Brown

Red Rising (#1) - Pierce Brown
Series: Red Rising Saga
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Format: Paperback
Pages: 382 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Blurb

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.